West Bengal preparing Gandhi Bhavan for Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary

The West Bengal government has been renovating the Gandhi Bhavan in Beleghata area of the city, a two-storey building where Mahatma Gandhi spent 25 days between August and September in 1947 when Kolkata was in the grip of riots. 

The government would hold a programme at the house on October 2 on the occasion of the 150th birth anniversary of Gandhi-ji. 

"We expect West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to declare the building a heritage property on October 2," said Papri Sarkar, Joint Secretary of Purbo Kolkata Gandhi Smarak Samiti (PKGSS), a private body working for preserving the memory of Gandhi-ji. 

A national-level programme will also be organised at the building after completion of the renovation, Chief Secretary Malay Kumar Dey had said earlier. Renovation work is presently being carried out in the building. 

Gandhi Bhavan, previously known as 'Haidari Manzil', houses a museum with a few exhibits including a "Charkha", a pocket watch used by Gandhi-ji, his slippers and some rare photographs taken during his stay in the city. 

Letters penned by Bapu, newspaper clippings of that time about the riots, the bed on which Gandhi-ji used to sleep are also on display. 

The building is maintained by state PWD since 2007 after a pact was signed between the state government and the Samiti, Sarkar said. PKGSS president Sankar Sanyal said Gandhi-ji started residing at 'Hyderi Manzil' on August 13 as it was located in riot-hit Beleghata. As the killings did not stop, he began an indefinite fast on August 31. 

"On September 4, both Hindus and Muslims surrendered before him and pledged to end the killings and peace came back. Gandhi-ji then withdrew the fast which lasted for around 72 hours and left the city," he said. 

Some of the sharp-edged weapons, apparently used in those days of rioting, have also been put up on display at the museum.

(With inputs from agencies.)